Prefer a bit of a root-and-branch approach, with a disciplined focus on landscape, since that\'s what you say you want to do. Suggest you sell the 5D classic and all your lenses, except the 17-40, which you keep. Put the proceeds from that sale together with your new money (should total about $3700) toward the following: Zeiss 50 MP f/2.0 ($1283 new); Canon 85 f/1.8 ($359 new); a used 5D II($1400 or less).
I\'m guessing that will leave you with about $700 in your pocket. That won\'t quite cover what you need next, which is a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and a good ball head. You will have to throw in about $300 more to get that. Do not stint on your tripod. You work with it on every shot you set up, and you will fight with it on every shot if it is a bad one. Hard-to-use tripods make cold, tired photographers skip great shots.
You will come out with the focal range from 17-85 covered, and with high quality prime lens images at 85mm, and astonishing IQ at 50mm. The camera IQ will be much higher than before, and you will be able to take advantage of live view focusing because you will have a tripod. Shooting with perfect focus off a good tripod the 5D II delivers the resolution and image quality you need to make gallery-quality prints at least 30 inches wide.
Prefer a bit of a root-and-branch approach, with a disciplined focus on landscape, since that\'s what you say you want to do. Suggest you sell the 5D classic and all your lenses, except the 17-40, which you keep. Put the proceeds from that sale together with your new money (should total about $3700) toward the following: Zeiss 50 MP f/2.0 ($1283 new); Canon 85 f/1.8 ($359 new); a used 5D II($1400 or less). I\'m guessing that will leave you with about $700 in your pocket. That won\'t quite cover what you need next, which is a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and a good ball head. You will have to throw in about $300 more to get that. Do not stint on your tripod. You work with it on every shot you set up, and you will fight with it on every shot if it is a bad one. Hard-to-use tripods make cold, tired photographers skip great shots.
Nov 30, 2012 at 09:51 AM
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